The Next Day
More and more examinees gradually arrived at the central tower, and the place slowly became lively.
Nagi and Ameno were taking a walk when they suddenly heard someone call out nearby.
"Ameno! Over here!"
They turned toward the voice and saw two girls from Sunagakure.
Ameno immediately smiled.
"Sēn, Yome! Long time no see!"
"Long time no see, Ameno."
"Yeah, it's been a while, Ameno. And…"
Sēn looked at Nagi with a mischievous grin.
"So who's this handsome guy? Don't tell me Ameno found herself a boyfriend in Konoha~ Pretty capable, huh? Hehe."
Ameno blushed slightly and said to Nagi,
"Uh… Nagi, that's just how Sēn is. Please don't mind her."
Sēn rubbed her chin, still grinning.
"Oh my~ You didn't deny it though, Ameno. Interesting."
"Sēn!"
Nagi gently patted Ameno on the shoulder and smiled.
"Looks like you two are very close. Nice to meet you—my name is Nagi ."
The big-eyed Yome responded cheerfully,
"Nice to meet you. My name is Yome."
Sēn, acting very familiar already, laughed.
"Nice to meet you too. I'm Sēn."
Then she stepped closer to Nagi, covering half her face with a fluffy fan.
"Hehe… Nagi, do you want to know what Ameno used to be like? Or what kinds of things she likes? If you're curious, I can tell you everything."
"No need."
Ameno immediately pushed Sēn away and sighed helplessly.
"You really haven't changed at all, Sēn."
"Really?"
Sēn looked at her with a teasing expression.
"I think you've changed quite a bit—especially when you're standing in front of this handsome guy."
"Sēn!"
"Hahaha! I never expected Ameno to get shy like this. This is great—I got my entertainment for the day."
She then turned around.
"Well then, we won't disturb you two any longer. Good luck~ Ameno."
"Bye, Ameno!"
Sēn and Yome waved before leaving.
All that remained was the blushing Ameno—and Nagi waving back at them.
Nagi smiled.
"Your friends seem to care about you."
"Yeah… I guess so. Anyway, let's go find Shizuka."
Before Nagi could react, Ameno grabbed his arm and dragged him toward Shizuka's room.
The End of the Second Stage
The third day soon passed.
This marked the end of the second stage of the Chūnin Exams.
Any team that failed to collect both scrolls or arrive at the central tower in time was eliminated.
The chief proctor handed the list of qualified teams to Minato Namikaze.
Minato skimmed through it and nodded.
"Twenty teams passed—so sixty participants in total. It seems the second stage was even more intense than I expected."
The proctor wiped some sweat from his forehead.
After all, some teams had stolen scrolls from ten or even twenty other teams.
The Central Hall
After a while, all the candidates gathered in the tower's central hall.
Standing on the podium, Minato announced:
"First of all, congratulations to everyone who passed the second stage.
"The **third stage of the Chūnin Exams—the final tournament—**will be held in Konoha's battle arena one month from now.
"However, victory alone does not determine promotion to Chūnin. Your performance during the battle will be the deciding factor.
"So during this month, train hard and prepare yourselves.
"If there are no questions, you are dismissed."
Clap clap clap…
The crowd erupted in applause.
One Month of Training
Everyone wanted to stand out in the upcoming final tournament, so intense training began everywhere.
The Namikaze Residence
In the courtyard, Kushina Uzumaki was teaching Naruko the sealing techniques and secret arts of the Uzumaki Clan.
Whenever Minato returned from work, he would also teach Naruko various combat techniques and ninjutsu.
Uchiha Training Grounds
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The training ground echoed with the sharp sounds of swords clashing.
Bang!
An Uchiha jōnin suddenly crashed into the wall.
"Next."
Satsuki Uchiha looked at the surrounding clan members with cold eyes.
"I'll go!"
Another Uchiha jōnin stepped forward to challenge her.
One minute later—
He was sent flying by a kick.
"Send more."
Three Uchiha stepped forward together.
But the result was the same—they were all knocked away.
Looking at the numerous Uchiha shinobi lying in the corner, several clan elders wiped sweat from their brows.
"The clan leader's daughter is terrifyingly strong."
"And she defeated all of them without even activating the Sharingan."
"Her strength might already rival—no… it might even surpass Itachi and Shisui at the same age."
Seeing how relaxed Satsuki looked, even Inabi and the others couldn't accurately judge her true strength.
Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha watched proudly.
"I'm not sure how they did it, but it seems the training Satsuki and Naruko have undergone over the past few years has produced incredible results."
Reactions
Fugaku Uchiha: "Satsuki is already this strong at that age? If Itachi didn't use the Mangekyō Sharingan, he might not even be able to defeat her."
Madara Uchiha: "Even if he used the Mangekyō, the outcome wouldn't be certain. After years of training with Nagi, Satsuki's Yin Release chakra has likely already surpassed the Mangekyō threshold."
Izuna Uchiha: "So even without the Mangekyō, a Three-Tomoe Sharingan defeating a Mangekyō user isn't impossible."
Orochimaru: "Indeed. Her mental power and dōjutsu are probably already far beyond Itachi's."
Sasuke Uchiha: "She actually…"
Sasuke found it hard to imagine that the version of himself from that world could be this strong.
At his current age, if he didn't activate the Sharingan, he probably couldn't even defeat a jōnin.
Naruto Uzumaki: "Hahaha! Sasuke, did you see that? The you from that world already surpassed you!"
Sasuke Uchiha: "Hmph. As if you haven't been surpassed too."
Naruto Uzumaki: "…."
Right. He had forgotten about himself.
The Screen ContinuesHyūga Clan Compound
A group of Hyūga jōnin and chūnin lay unconscious on the ground.
"Tch. This is so boring."
Hinata Hyūga looked down at them with a bored expression.
She could barely find any worthy opponents anymore.
Hiashi Hyūga approached with a towel and a bottle of water.
"My precious daughter worked hard. Take a break."
Hinata frowned.
"Old man, stay away from me. These guys are just too weak."
Hiashi coughed awkwardly.
"Isn't it possible that… you're simply too strong?"
"Hmph. Boring. I'm going out to train."
"Hehe! Big sister, take me with you!"
Hanabi Hyūga suddenly popped out from somewhere.
"Tch. You'd just get in my way. Stay here."
With her hands in her pockets, Hinata walked away without looking back.
Hanabi tried to secretly follow her—
but Hiashi grabbed her.
"Don't disturb your sister's training. But speaking of which… have you been slacking off lately?"
Hanabi immediately froze.
"Um… I…"
"Enough excuses. Go home and continue practicing the Gentle Fist."
"Ehhh—!"
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